1. Relax – Do not beat yourself up. One over-the-top meal will not ruin your health. Plus, too much guilt about eating habits can lead you to deny yourself. This can make you feel deprived and then cause you to binge again in an unhealthy cycle. Instead, decide what you will do differently in the future, especially in the days that follow.
2. Take a walk – An easy stroll will help stimulate your digestion and even out your blood sugar levels. Or go for a leisurely bike ride instead. But do not overdo it. A real workout could send blood to your legs instead of your stomach, which could slow digestion.
3. Drink water – Do not chug it by the liter until you feel sick. Just sip on a cup of water (about 8 ounces) after a big meal. It can help your body get rid of excess salt you likely got from your meal. It can also keep you from getting constipated. Continue to drink water over the rest of the day to keep yourself hydrated.
4. Do not lie down – That means no naps (unless you can do it standing up). First, you lose the chance to burn off some of those calories you just ate by, say, doing the dishes or going for a walk. Also, when you lie down with a full stomach, food can work its way back up. This can slow digestion and worsen acid reflux (GERD). The couch will have to wait until your food has time to settle.
5. Skip the bubbles – If you have already overdone it, carbonated drinks may not be a great idea. When you drink them, you swallow gas that can fill up your digestive system. This will make you feel even more bloated. You burp some of it away, and the rest moves through your digestive system until you pass it as gas.
6. Give away leftovers – If you still have food left after a meal, it might make you think you have eaten a healthy amount even though you have actually eaten too much. Some research suggests that this could make you eat more and exercise less later. If you keep leftovers, it may help to divide them into single servings so you do not overdo it next time.
7. Work Out – After some time has gone by, work up a real sweat: run, lift weights, play basketball. It is best to wait at least 3 to 4 hours after a big meal. It will burn off some of those extra calories. It may also help jump-start your metabolism and prevent constipation. And regular exercise seems to help control mood and hunger so you are less likely to overeat in the future.
8. Plan Your Next Meal – You cannot “un-eat” what you have eaten at a party or at home. But you can prepare so you do not overdo it again tomorrow and beyond. Once there is life, there is hope; and the chance to make better choices for one’s health. Choose low-calorie recipes and plan out your meals for the week. Set aside time to make as many of your meals in advance as possible. Talk to a dietician while doing this. When you plan your meals, and cook ahead of time, you can easily carry food along with you to work or anywhere you are likely to be outside of home.
9. Eat mindfully – Try to look at eating as a kind of meditation. Pay attention to the flavor, feel, and color of your food. Think about the meal: Where was the food grown or raised? How did the cook make it? Try to take small bites and chew well. Stop from time to time and ask yourself if you feel full yet. This can help you eat less and feel more satisfied. What even helps more is when you decide to eat but not to do so till you feel full.
10. Eat Slowly – It can take around 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it is full. If you have already eaten too much in the first 10 minutes, you have not given your brain the chance to figure it out. Half an hour later, you are sure to feel uncomfortable from too much food. Slow down and you may find that not only do you eat fewer calories, but you also feel more satisfied.
11. Choose right – You can eat more food with less calories if you switch out foods like fatty meat, white bread, and French fries for healthier choices like lean meat, whole wheat bread and baked potatoes, amongst others. Think vegetable rich foods like kontonmire stew or soup, okro soup with gbomaa & ademe, ayoyo soup, and salad greens. Whole grain rice/ Brown rice/ Whole grain pasta are better than white rice or pasta because they have more protein and fiber. This will help keep you satisfied longer so you end up eating less.
12. Avoid bad company – The bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that, “Do not be deceived: bad company ruins good morals”. You all know that there are some friends and family who will only make you eat, eat and overeat for that matter. I will not say much about this; if you do not want to keep overeating, do everything possible to avoid the company of those people when it is going to be about food.
13. Keep none or less of it nearby – It does a lot of good if you keep the foods that you are likely to abuse or over-eat away from your dwelling. Whether home or office. Once out of sight, you will be better able to stay off such foods, then you will not over-eat. It is more like creating a physical barrier between you and those foods.
14. Get professional help – If you often eat until you are too full or even sick, you could have what is called binge eating disorder. You might hide it from others. You may feel ashamed or disgusted after you eat too much. It may seem like you cannot stop even if you want to. Over time, it can take a serious toll on your body as well as your mental health. Treatment can help, so talk to a doctor and a dietician if you are in this situation.